How to Provide Digitally Accessible Virtual Interviews
Virtual interviews are becoming immensely popular. Studies show that over 80% of employers prefer virtual interviews to the traditional ones.
Virtual interviews and videoconferencing are key for accessibility. Properly organized online interviews help people with disabilities, including hearing, vision, cognitive, and other types of impairments to fully engage in the recruitment process and be fairly assessed as professionals.
As in-person interviews transition to digital platforms, it’s important to assess the level of digital accessibility these platforms offer.
Beyond the immediate challenges caused by the pandemic, virtual interviews offer numerous benefits, including cost savings, flexibility, and the ability to connect with candidates worldwide. Still, they also present significant accessibility challenges.
This article explores the most common challenges to online interviews and the solutions to provide digitally accessible and inclusive virtual interviews.
Challenges to Online Interviews: How to Provide Accessibility
Online interviews are among the most accessible methods of recruitment however there can be certain challenges that can impact the inclusiveness of online interviews. Below, we have listed some of these challenges and recommended solutions to address them.
Inaccessible Platforms
The biggest challenge in providing accessible and fair online interviews is using inaccessible platforms for conducting the interviews.
Online interview platforms that do not provide video captions and transcriptions, proctoring, and other accessibility features can present numerous challenges for candidates with disabilities. In addition, design elements like small fonts, low color contrast, and complex layouts can create significant difficulties for candidates with cognitive or motor disabilities. All these factors can make it difficult and sometimes impossible for people with disabilities to fully engage in the interview process.
To avoid the issues above, you need to research and use platforms that follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and include all the required features for fair and inclusive online interviews.
Jobma is one of the most inclusive trusted online interview platforms working on the cloud.
Jobma consistently rolls out new and innovative accessibility features to improve candidate engagement during the interview process. For example, offering features like adding a company logo and banner to the page, as well as the ability to add logos of any size, ensures a cohesive visual identity throughout the entire online interview.
Jobma’s latest AI enhancements like transcriptions, live proctoring, and automated scoring make it one of the leading video interviewing platforms.
Inaccessible Content
The next significant challenge is inaccessible content. This problem arises when the content provided during the online interview is not prepared and presented in a way that meets the requirements of everyone regardless of their form of disability.
For example, textual content that is not compatible with screen readers can make it impossible for people with visual impairments to read and understand important information during the interview.
If you don’t want to meet this kind of challenge during your online recruitment process, you need to:
- provide text in HTML or Word formats in contrast to PDF files
- ensure all the job-related materials like job descriptions, and the materials of the interview are clear and concise
- offer alternative text for images and graphs
Finding out if your recruitment content and platform are accessible can also be challenging. So, first of all, you may need to conduct an audit for web accessibility. Then, you can start matching your content for accessibility requirements.
Lack of Training for Recruiters
Lack of accessibility training for recruiters is one of the warning signs for any business. Companies that don’t train their recruiters to conduct inclusive hiring procedures risk losing not only qualified employees but also their trust and reputation.
To avoid it, you need to perform regular accessibility training among your recruiters. There are many online training materials that can help to save time and increase accessibility awareness and practices among the recruitment team.
Each recruiter should conduct the interview and the overall recruitment process with accessibility, inclusion, and diversity in mind.
Lack of Access to Necessary Equipment
It is impossible to engage in an online interview without having access to the necessary equipment like videoconferencing tools. This is a common challenge for candidates of any form of disability.
You can avoid this issue with the help of the following possible solutions:
- offering alternative options for the job interview
- offering appropriate accommodations to candidates with disabilities
- not discriminating against any candidate who may lack access to any necessary equipment
Absence of Real-Time Captioning
The absence of real-time captioning is a big challenge, especially for people with hearing impairments. It offers them text-based subtitles of what the interviewer is speaking about. So, without including the feature of real-time captioning in your online interviews, you risk
leaving out a qualified candidate who has hearing impairments.
Adding this solution to your online interviews, consider the following:
- research and find an interview platform that supports real-time captioning
- hire a vendor specializing in real-time-captioning
- check the billing requirements and any captioning limitations
- perform a test to check whether captions are visible on all kinds of devices, such as mobile phones, iPads, tablets, etc.
Lack of Reasonable Accommodations
When communicating with job applicants about the hiring process, you can explain the various steps involved, such as interviews, timed tests, or job demonstrations, and ask if they need any reasonable accommodations.
If an accommodation is requested, engage in a collaborative process to determine the appropriate type. Make sure to allocate enough time for interviews, as some applicants may need extra time. Additionally, consider using chat sessions as an accommodation when necessary to ensure accessibility for users with assistive technology.
Lack of Flexibility
Another common issue is the lack of flexibility during virtual interviews.
For example, a candidate with a disability who requires extra time for interviews due to communication barriers or other accessibility needs may meet difficulties if interview slots are fixed and rigid. Additionally, relying only on standard interview methods like videoconferencing could create obstacles for individuals with certain disabilities, such as hearing or visual impairments.
To avoid situations like this:
- allow for extended interview time if necessary
- be flexible about any interview date and time change requests
- offer alternative communication methods
- adjust interview formats when necessary
Conclusion
Making job interviews accessible is not only about meeting legal obligations; it reflects values of fairness and social responsibility.
When businesses ensure that all candidates, regardless of their disabilities, can participate in the interview process, they show a dedication to equity and inclusivity. This not only benefits individuals with disabilities but also enables businesses to hire skilled professionals through fair competition. This is the approach that leads to success.
